reverence

1 of 2

noun

rev·​er·​ence ˈrev-rən(t)s How to pronounce reverence (audio)
ˈre-və-;
ˈre-vərn(t)s
1
: honor or respect felt or shown : deference
especially : profound adoring awed respect
2
: a gesture of respect (such as a bow)
3
: the state of being revered
4
: one held in reverence
used as a title for a clergyman

reverence

2 of 2

verb

rev·​er·​ence ˈrev-rən(t)s How to pronounce reverence (audio)
ˈre-və-;
ˈre-vərn(t)s
reverenced; reverencing

transitive verb

: to regard or treat with reverence
reverencer noun
Choose the Right Synonym for reverence

Noun

honor, homage, reverence, deference mean respect and esteem shown to another.

honor may apply to the recognition of one's right to great respect or to any expression of such recognition.

the nomination is an honor

homage adds the implication of accompanying praise.

paying homage to Shakespeare

reverence implies profound respect mingled with love, devotion, or awe.

great reverence for my father

deference implies a yielding or submitting to another's judgment or preference out of respect or reverence.

showed no deference to their elders

Verb

revere, reverence, venerate, worship, adore mean to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully.

revere stresses deference and tenderness of feeling.

a professor revered by her students

reverence presupposes an intrinsic merit and inviolability in the one honored and a similar depth of feeling in the one honoring.

reverenced the academy's code of honor

venerate implies a holding as holy or sacrosanct because of character, association, or age.

heroes still venerated

worship implies homage usually expressed in words or ceremony.

worships their memory

adore implies love and stresses the notion of an individual and personal attachment.

we adored our doctor

Examples of reverence in a Sentence

Noun The national pickle dish, kimchi, is held in such reverence that Seoul boasts a museum devoted entirely to its 160 different varieties. The Encyclopedia of Herbs, Spices, & Flavorings, 1992
Reverence for or worship of the dead is found in all societies, because belief in life after death is universal. World Religions, 1983
He took the command of this small party at once—the little girl and the little boy following him about with great reverence at such times as he condescended to sport with them. William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, 1848
Her poems are treated with reverence by other poets. Their religion has a deep reverence for nature. Verb Only acquaintance with the great models of antiquity moves men to love and reverence the great authors of their own time … John Clive, Not By Fact Alone, 1989
It is our most fundamental political document, reverenced by all, the supposed cement of our society, yet it is read by few and understood by fewer still. David M. Kennedy, New York Times Book Review, 14 Sept. 1986
None of us like mediocrity, but we all reverence perfection. Mark Twain, A Tramp Abroad, 1880
devotees coming to reverence their god
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Tell me about your reverence for country music and how that has increasingly bled into your own. Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 7 Mar. 2024 That duplicity of reverence and appetite for creative independence carries over into the second game of the trilogy, the upcoming PlayStation 5 title Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 26 Feb. 2024 On the other side of the season, is any of this reverence for the franchise recolored for you by the people who made negative comparisons with season four and season one, and especially Nic’s comments? Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2024 So one of them keeps a tongue as an act of reverence and kindness to the body that is still going to go through a lot of indignities. Kate Aurthur, Variety, 19 Feb. 2024 She was taken at her prime, which leaves space for others to continue to exalt her cultural impact and memorialize her through art and merchandise, usually with reverence and loving intentions. Alex Zaragoza, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2024 Sydney exemplifies the Ursuline Core Values of reverence, service, leadership, and community by thinking deeply of others and putting a concern into action. The Courier-Journal, 9 Feb. 2024 Menswear tends toward the scholarly, with its reverence for the archival and incessant fussing over heritage and tradition. Josh Condon, Robb Report, 28 Jan. 2024 In the memoir, RuPaul treats most celebrities he’s encountered with diplomacy, if not reverence. Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2024
Verb
Saint Heron remains dedicated to empowering future art practitioners by reverencing the spiritual act of creating and spotlighting artists’ unwavering devotion to the intergenerational language of expression. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 16 June 2023 But to millions more, the day was greeted with a shrug, the awe and reverence the ceremony was designed to evoke largely gone. Compiled By Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 7 May 2023 The rite was expected to be watched by millions, though the awe and reverence the ceremony was designed to evoke are largely gone — and many greeted the day with a shrug. Danica Kirka and Jill Lawless, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2023 The four core Franciscan values are: showing compassion, making peace, creating a caring community, and reverencing all of creation. Journal Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2023 The Civil Rights Movement, Black Lives Matter, and ongoing discussion of injustice continue to be at the forefront of American discourse, and works like Gbadebo’s open the viewer to reverence as much as discussion. Alexandra Bregman, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2023 Her work is marked by a deep attentiveness to and reverence for the natural world. Nancy Lord, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Aug. 2022 At the time they were made, Scandinavian societies were moving from Sun worship to reverence for gods associated with animals. Livia Gershon, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2022 A life cut short by unexpected catastrophe is reverenced. Christopher Knight, latimes.com, 6 May 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reverence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin reverentia, from reverent-, reverens "respectful, reverent" + -ia -ia entry 1

Verb

Middle English reverencen, derivative of reverence reverence

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reverence was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near reverence

Cite this Entry

“Reverence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reverence. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

reverence

1 of 2 noun
rev·​er·​ence ˈrev-(ə-)rən(t)s How to pronounce reverence (audio)
ˈrev-ərn(t)s
1
: honor or respect felt or shown : deference
2
: the state of being revered or honored

reverence

2 of 2 verb
reverenced; reverencing
: to think of or treat with reverence

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